The conference will take place Oct. 15-18, 2013, in Vancouver, Canada, is co-organized by ISIAQ, and is the 17th in the ASHRAE IAQ conference series.

"Besides addressing thermal comfort and other IEQ issues, buildings and other enclosed spaces are increasingly challenged to provide a healthy environment while focused on minimizing energy use intensity," said Steve Emmerich, the conference co-chair. "The complex relationship between indoor and outdoor environmental conditions, coupled with the impacts of climate change, requires a paradigm shift towards creating buildings that are not only comfortable but also healthy for the occupants while minimizing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions," Co-Chair Hal Levin added.

Levin said the current focus on buildings' energy efficiency often results in insufficient consideration of the environmental health impacts it imposes.

Visit www.ashrae.org/iaq2013 for detailed descriptions of the topic areas. The deadline for abstracts is Dec. 15, 2012.